How to Be a Good Manager

An effective manager pays attention to many things. Here we suggest some management skills without which you can not be a successful manager.

A successful manager builds effective interpersonal relationships. He (she) demonstrates collaboration, respect, trust and attentiveness.

A successful manager communicates effectively in person and email. He is a good listener.

He also builds the team and enables other staff to collaborate more effectively with each other. People feel they are becoming more effective, more creative, more productive - in the presence of a team builder.

A good manager understands the financial aspects of the business. He sets goals and measures staff progress and success.

He knows how to create an environment in which people feel positive and employees are motivated to work hard for the success of the business. A good manager keeps the door open. He always reminds people that if they have any questions or concerns, he is willing to listen.

A good manager leads by example and provides recognition when others do the same.

He helps people grow and develop their skills and capabilities through education and on-the-job learning.

Sales Manager: Job description

As a sales manager, you'll be organising and leading a team of sales representatives. Your role may vary according to the company and industry sector you're operating in. You might be responsible for a particular type of product or customer, or you could be the area manager in charge of a particular geographical area.

Whatever the particular circumstances, however, you're likely to be doing many of the following:

- Setting sales targets for individual reps and your team as a whole, according to company guidelines.

- Recruiting and training sales staff.

- Allocating areas to sales representatives.

- Developing sales strategies and setting targets.

- Monitoring your team's performance and motivating them to reach targets.

- Compiling and analysing sales figures.

- Dealing with some major customer accounts yourself.

- Collecting customer feedback and market research.

- Reporting back to senior managers.

- Keeping up to date with products and competitors.

- In some jobs you may also be involved with marketing.

Hours and Environment

Normally, you'll work 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. However, you may have to work longer when necessary.

You'll be office-based, but also spending some of your time visiting customers, head office, and your sales team in the field. You may also need to attend conferences, trade fairs and exhibitions. Depending on the size of the area you cover, your job may involve some overnight stays away from home. If your company sells products overseas, you may be travelling abroad.

Skills and Interests

To be a sales manager you'll need to have:

Excellent sales and negotiation skills

Good business sense

The ability to motivate and lead a team

Initiative and enthusiasm

Excellent communication and 'people skills'

Good planning and organisational skills

The ability to work under pressure

Good IT, budget and report writing skills

A full driving licence

Foreign language skills are increasingly useful.

Opportunities

With experience and a good track record, you could become an area manager, and take on a large sales area, or be promoted to even higher-paid and more responsible jobs like regional or national sales manager.

Office manager: Job description

As an office manager you are the glue that sticks all the different departments of a business together. It is your job to make sure the business runs smoothly.

The nature of an office manager's work depends on the type and size of business, but your typical 'to do' list will probably include:

- Control of office budgets

- Arranging travel, meetings and appointments

- Ordering stationery, office equipment and furniture

- Organising office maintenance and repair

- Supervising and monitoring the work of clerical and secretarial staff

- Completing payroll paperwork and timesheets

- Discussing problems with staff

- Reporting to management to review office performance

- Reviewing and updating the company's health and safety policy, and arranging checks

- Organising and leading induction programmes for new joiners.

Hours and environment

You'll basically work 9am to 5pm, unless it's a particularly busy time in the office. It's an office based role, so it is rare that you will be asked to travel overseas or overnight. It's a full-time, busy job, so unfortunately there aren't too many flexible working opportunities out there.

Skills and interests

The role involves working with everyone in the business and balancing lots of different needs and tasks so, apart from being tireless, the most important skills you can demonstrate are a good way with people and great organisational abilities.

An efficient office manager must be good at the following:

Good written skills

Good at problem-solving

Confident project management

Good at multi-tasking

Are reliable

Confident with IT and the basic office software packages (Word,

Excel, PowerPoint etc.)

Show good initiative

Entry

Work experience is really important no matter what your background. Even graduates will need a couple of years' office experience before being considered for the role.

Not all degrees or qualifications are equal. It may increase your chances if your qualification is in a business, computing or management type subject.

Training

When you first walk in the door you'll be given some in-house training. This usually covers office systems and procedures and will get you familiar with the office layout.

Once you've settled in your employer should arrange some appropriate training to help you develop and take on more responsibility. This might include courses in:

Health and safety

Project management

IT courses

Supervision/management

You may be asked to take a diploma in subjects like finances, personnel or office management. A larger company should fund these courses for you but a smaller company's training budgets probably won't stretch that far.

Opportunities

You'll get lots of opportunities to take on more responsibilities, particularly in the first five years or so. From managing more people to organising and leading more training and taking a more senior role in decision-making.

Promotion usually involves becoming a member of the management team or head of a department. It is also quite common to combine two roles. For example taking on the role of finance or personnel manager as well as your existing office manager duties.

Customer Services Manager: Job description

As the Customer Services Manager, your role will involve getting the best out of your staff to provide customers with the best experience possible.

Taking charge leading a team is your main responsibility. You'd have to supervise and motivate your team to make sure customers are handled in a friendly, useful and professional way.

It's equally important for you to build knowledge and understanding of products and policies. This can then be passed on to your staff.

A typical day involves many duties, which would vary depending on where you work. These could be building effective customer relations, staff recruitment and appraisals, working arrangements, staff meetings, and training and development programmes. More complex customer enquiries, complaints, and any crises such as security issues would also be part of your role.

The job can include financial responsibilities, stock ordering and taking part in special customer promotions or events.

Hours and environment

As standard, your working week would be 37 hours spread over 5 days, possibly including weekend work. Supermarkets, other out-of-town retail outlets, garages, airports and hotels are often open late or in some cases 24 hours a day, so your working hours would vary depending on your employer. If you're looking for job-sharing or part-time work, this is widely available. For the majority of your time you will be working from an office or customer services desk.

Formal dress or a uniform might be needed in some cases, particularly if you deal with customers face to face regularly.

Skills and interests

To be a good Customer Services Manager, you must have:

a genuine interest in working with and helping customers

good communication skills

the ability to supervise and motivate staff in a team

good presentation and a polite, tactful and friendly character

a good understanding of numbers and planning

the ability to be flexible, decisive and quick-thinking

the ability to handle complaints and difficult situations in a

patient,

calm and effective way.

an understanding of computer systems and cash registers, for

some jobs

Entry

You'll need a good general educational background to work in customer service. You can benefit from having a degree. Equivalent qualifications may be accepted.

Before you become a Customer Services Manager, it's likely that you'd need previous experience of working in a customer services team. Often you can be promoted from within an organisation to the role.

Training

Training would usually be given to you on the job by your employer. If you entered a larger organisation, it would often have its own structured in-house management training programmes.

Opportunities

Your choices are open if you wish to become a Customer Services Manager. There is a wide range of industries available, particularly in retail, banking and insurance, leisure and tourism, IT, telecommunications, transport and local government.

With experience, you could progress into senior management. In some industries, you could move into sales or account handling. Good customer service skills are in demand in all industries, so you could also use your skills to move into other careers of your choice.

Annual income

At trainee level, you'd usually earn between £16,000 and £20,000 a year and with experience this would rise to a salary of £20,000 to £40,000 a year. In a large organisation, you could earn up to £60,000 a year as a Senior Manager.

Bonuses or commission may also be paid in the retail trade.